Grinnell Mutual opens West Des Moines office

The 109-year-old property-casualty company is headquartered in Grinnell, Iowa, where the bulk of its 750 employees work. Grinnell Mutual also has a business continuity facility in Newton, Iowa.

The West Des Moines office, at 2829 Westown Parkway, opened on April 3 and has space for 44 IT employees. The office is a mixture of assigned work stations and hoteling stations.

Having a Des Moines-area office is part of Grinnell Mutual’s strategic plan to expand its applicant pool and attract and retain top-notch talent. “There’s a huge pool of IT talent in the Des Moines area,” said Roby Shay, vice president of Enterprise Solutions and CIO. “We believe having this option is one more plus in our long list of things that make Grinnell Mutual a great place to work.”

A commitment to employee work-life balance also contributed to the decision to add the new location. “We know it can be hard on employees who make the commute from the Des Moines area every day. This is one way to make their lives a little easier,” Shay said.

The new office is part of President and CEO Larry Jansen’s vision for a vibrant future. “Having an office in the metro area will give us better access to the people with the skill sets we need to keep growing this great company,” he said.

Employees who work in the new office will also work from the home office part-time. “Most employees who use the West Des Moines office will be there one, two, or three days a week,” Shay explained. “It’s really important to us that we maintain our strong corporate culture and not create a subculture at the new location. The supportive, close-knit environment is one of hallmarks of Grinnell Mutual and it’s something everyone really values.”